All the News That Fits Our Agenda

It was Elbert Hubbard who defined "Editor: a person employed by a newspaper, whose business it is to separate the wheat from the chaff, and to see that the chaff is printed." This week, our local paper, the Press-Citizen, pointed out that placement of chaff counts too.

For instance, we have had over 30 assaults on women in the Iowa City community which, while there was a story about an information forum about it on the front page, it was under the fold. This means, if you walk down the street and look at the headlines in a newspaper box, you wouldn't have known this was more important than a UI group canceling a corn on the cob eat-off or Iowa State Bank (& Trust) changing its name.

Now the layout editor might saw it was matter of size than priority, but, when 1/4 of the top of the front page is given up to advertising, well, it makes it hard to report anything but feel good stories in that space.

Today, the same paper used 1/2 of the upper fold to ask the very important question "are you ready for the Iowa-Iowa State game?"--and then placed a story about women being afraid to walk home alone below it--albeit with the headline above the fold.

I understand that newspapers are going the way of the 8-track player, for the younger generation tends to get their news from Comedy Central than columnists. Be that as it may, for the rest of us that actually read papers for local news, it is often disappointing.

A Profile in Couric

MoveOn says:

Media need to strongly challenge Bush's Iraq lies.

Did Katie Couric do it?

Bush and the Doting Press

Check out this video at Raw Story.

On Wednesday, President Bush appeared at the dedication of the renovated press briefing room at White House. As the reporters strained to get a few questions through his flow of jovial one-liners, Bush said, "Let's do this. Let me cut the ribbon ... and then why don't you all yell simultaneously. Like, really loudly. And that way, you might get noticed. I'll, like, listen, internalize, play like I'm gonna answer the question, and then smile at you and just say 'got it. Thanks. Thanks for such a solid, sound question.'"

Bush then cut the ribbon, waved, and immediately left.

Good, But Will It Actually Report the News?

According to Editor and Publisher, The Chicago Sun-Times is turning left.

The tabloid that shifted toward political conservatism under the brief ownership of Rupert Murdoch more than two decades ago now says that it is "rethinking our stance on several issues, including the most pressing issue facing Americans today: Bush's war in Iraq."Under marching orders from Publisher John Cruickshank and Editor in Chief Michael Cooke, new Editorial Page Editor Cheryl L. Reed introduced a new Commentary section Tuesday with a promise to turn the tabloid back into the liberal-leaning paper it was for decades before the Reagan administration.

"We are returning to our liberal, working-class roots, a position that pits us squarely opposite the Chicago Tribune -- that Republican, George Bush-touting paper over on moneyed Michigan Avenue," Reed wrote.

"We're rethinking our stance on several issues, including the most pressing issue facing Americans today: Bush's war in Iraq."Reed, who did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment about the change, is the paper's former book editor who was asked by Cruickshank and Cooke to, she wrote, "conceive an editorial and opinion section that looked like the future.

"Her instructions: "'Don't be conservative,' Cruickshank urged me. 'We don't want you to hold back.'"Reed said the Sun-Times will be adding seats to the editorial board "so that board members -- the paper's brain trust -- reflect the ethnic and social diversity of our city."

This is all fine and good, as long as the paper also report the news factually!

Buddy, Can You Spare Some Earned Media

At what point is a candidate a "serious" candidate? One measure is cash--Clinton, Obama, Edwards got a lot of it--Kucinich, Richardson, Biden, Dodd, Gravel have less--that makes them not "serious?"

Another measure is familiarity of the candidates--again Clinton, Obama, Edwards have high Q scores and poll ratings--the others don't. Again, does this determine whether a candidate is "serious?"

Another measure is body count--how many people show up to your events? Obama, Edwards, and Clinton do better than the other candidates, but does this make them more "serious" as a candidate.

With the first primary at least eight months away, it makes no real sense to declare who the victors are, particularly when reporting favors the wealthy and the known. Shouldn't reporters attempt to distinguish differences between candidates' views rather than their bank accounts or ability to fill seats?

FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting) takes a whack at how "lesser" candidates are portrayed in the media.

"Left wing" ideas such as Kucinich and Gravel's opposition to the Iraq War are shared by a majority of the U.S. population; it's telling that this is insufficient to make them "serious" for Broder. By contrast, after the Republican debate, the Post reported (5/4/07) that "the three candidates who top most national polls—Giuliani, McCain and Romney—made forceful presentations, but those struggling for attention also generally acquitted themselves well." In response to three of the candidates expressing support for creationism, the Post noted their public support (5/6/07): "But a look at public polling on the issue reveals that the three men aren't far from the mainstream in that belief."

Describing the Democratic debate, the Los Angeles Times argued (4/27/07) that the wide debate format "allowed each candidate a total of 11 minutes to talk—giving Kucinich and Gravel, both of whom have a negligible showing in polls, equal time with the front-runners, which they used to take aggressive hits at [New York Sen. Hillary] Clinton and Obama." At this point, more than half a year before the first actual voters have a chance to weigh in, poll numbers should not be the prime determiner of who gets to participate in a debate; even so, Kucinich and Gravel are in what amounts to a statistical dead heat in many polls with candidates treated more seriously by the corporate media, like Biden and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

While Kucinich and Gravel were asked only eight questions in the April 26 debate, Biden received 11 and Richardson 10—nearly as many as the 12 each answered by "front-runners" Clinton, Obama and former vice presidential candidate John Edwards. This despite the fact Kucinich was tied with Richardson and Biden in the latest Pew poll (4/18-22/07) and actually beat Biden in the latest Fox poll (4/17-18/07).

Edwards and Clinton Write-ups - Cleaning Up after the Circus

Compare opening paragraphs, according to the CR Gazette

"John Edwards has built his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on domestic issues, but Kathy Severson came to his ‘‘town hall’’ rally last night wanting to hear about something else. ‘‘How we’d be getting out of the war,’’ Severson, 49, of Cedar Rapids, said as she waited in Prairie High School’s gym for Edwards’ arrival. The former North Carolina senator delivered, opening his remarks with a call to Democratic congressional leaders to call President Bush’s threat to veto an Iraq funding package that includes a timeline for U.S. troops’ withdrawal. ‘‘The president is saying he’s not going to fund the troops that are serving in Iraq,’’ said Edwards. ‘‘(Congress has) got to send him another bill that funds the troops and sets timelines. We can’t let this president make another in a series of tragic mistakes. America needs to be leaving Iraq.’’"

Meanwhile at the Clinton event

"It wasn’t like sharing a table with a presidential hopeful at the Hamburg Inn, but there were few complaints about the conversation Hillary Clinton had with 350 people Tuesday in an Iowa City hotel ballroom. ‘‘To me, this is close,’’ Sandy Wedmore of Iowa City said from the third row of chairs that surrounded Clinton. ‘‘I can see her — and I think more people can attend these sorts of events than if it was in a living room.’’ In her remarks, Clinton said it’s time for America ‘‘to get back to what we do best — to get back into the solutions business.’’ The conversations are a balancing act, Clinton said later, her feet up on a coffee table after a day that included a breakfast at the home of former Iowa Gov. Tom and Christie Vilsack in Mount Pleasant, a tour of a biodiesel refinery in Crawfordsville and the hour-plus campaign event at Quality Inn and Suites in Iowa City."

Summary of stories : Actual conversation about an important issue v. the number of people in the room

Racist Like A Fox?

Iowa Liberal points to Huffington Post who provides this interesting video. It is no wonder that racial tensions in this country continue to be exacerbated when media "news-a-tainment" outlets lead the charge.

Ailes, Be Seeing You--Dems Moving On

CNN reports "a Nevada Democratic presidential debate that was to have been co-hosted by Fox News Network was canceled by organizers, in part because of a joke by Fox Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes about presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama.

Democrats canceled the debate Friday. They said a comment by Ailes during a Thursday night speech to a group of radio and television news directors indicated the network was biased against their party.

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards dropped out of the debate Thursday, citing, in part, Fox's participation.

(Gark insertion "Apparently as an attempt to make another funny") Fox News Vice President David Rhodes responded to the debate cancellation with a written statement saying MoveOn.org owns the Democratic Party."

Early Valentine's Gift

Courtesy of Free Press

Send FCC Commission Head Kevin Martin a Valentine

Thanks to Trish Nelson an Iowans for Better Local Television (and media)